Wrapping up 2024 with basketball, wrestling
OPINION —
Local Schools are on Christmas and New Years break, but basketball teams, including Opelika’s girls and boys teams are busy playing in holiday tournaments before and after Christmas. The Lady Bulldogs and the boys varsity basketball teams played LaFayette and St. James in regular season games last week, along with participating in Auburn High School’s “Reindeer Rumble.”
The Lady Bulldogs (5-10) went 1-3 last week:
Opelika opened last week with a home loss to Lanett 48-35 despite 13 points from Tya Pitts and 11 points from Kamora Johnson added 11 points. The girls beat LaFayette 46-21. Makayla Jones led with 12 points and Claire Barber chipped in 10 points in the winning cause. The Lady Bulldogs ended the week with a 75-41 loss to St. James in the AHS tournament. Thee Opelika seniors scored double-digits; Naomi Whack led with 14 points, and Monica Whack and Tyra Pitts scored 10 points each.
The OHS boys (15-3) are having their best year under head coach Wesley Button since he was elevated to head after former head coach Emanuel Brown abruptly resigned after four games into the season after he was hired to follow John Wadsworth, who left for Enterprise. (Wadsworth’s 14 years was the most successful run in school history, making the playoffs 12 times and having winning record against AHS, Central and Smiths Station). OHS finished last week with a 4-1 record, including three games in the “AHS Reindeer Rumble.”
Opelika started the week beating Lanett 69-62 in the Mainstreet gym, beat LaFayette on the road 78-54, lost to Bob Jones 63-44 in the first game of three games in the “AHS Reindeer Rumble,” beat Carroll (Ozark) 75-63 and JAG 61-50.
The OHS varsity boys host Helena Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. and travel to Lanett Dec. 30 for a 1:30 p.m. tipoff.
Opelika girls and boys start area competition Jan. 3 at Smiths Station (varsity girls at 6 p.m., boys follow).
OHS will host Central Jan. 7 in the newly renovated arena on the OHS campus (varsity girls start at 6 p.m., varsity boys will start 15 minutes after completion of the girls game). The arena’s renovations include: new hardwood basketball court, new seats, new brighter paint, new LED lights, new scoreboard above center court with four sides, new scores table, goals that light up when time expires in conjunction with the time clock and a new entrance. Opelika resident and basketball fan Joe McNally approached Mayor Gary Fuller with the idea of building a new, large gymnasium, fit for a 7A program, instead of playing in the small gym inside OHS. After exploring options, the arena was renovated instead of building a new gymnasium. The renovation of OHS arena is another athletic facility used by Opelika City Schools that has been upgraded and renovated during Fuller’s administration. There is no doubt Fuller is a huge supporter of Opelika City Schools academics, arts and athletics.
Auburn visits OHS Jan. 10, followed by the Panthers Jan. 17. The Dogs play Central in Phenix City Jan. 21 and at Auburn Jan. 24.
IHeartRadio’s “FOX Sports the Game 910-1310” will broadcast nine total varsity basketball games in January, six boys games and three varsity girls game, presented by the Orthopedic Clinic: Opelika basketball on FOX Sports the Game, foxspoortsthegame.com and the free iHeartRadio app:
Jan. 3 — @ SSHS (7 p.m. airtime)
Jan. 7 — Central (5:45 airtime girls and boys)
Jan. 10 — AHS (5:45 p.m. varsity girls and boys)
Jan. 17 — SSHS (5:45 p.m. varsity girls and boys)
Jan. 21 — at Central (7 p.m. boys)
Jan. 24 — at AHS (7 p.m. boys)
Opelika’s varsity boys wrestling team participated in the “Smiths Station Invitational” last weekend on the SSHS campus.
The Bulldog grapplers performed well in the tournament that featured teams from Georgia and Alabama. The following is a breakdown of Opelika athletes weight class and results.
106 lbs
Champ. Round 1 – Adrian Ambrocio-Perez (Opelika) over Kaden Bennett (Hardaway) (Fall 0:27)
120 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Phoenix Ayers (Central) over Konner Hartzog (Opelika) (Fall 0:37)
126 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Nevon Zuniga (Northside, Columbus) over John Ambrocio (Opelika) (Fall 2:30
138 lbs
Champ. Round 1 – Adriane Pender (Jordan) over Jaden Smith (Opelika) (Fall 1:2
144 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Denarvious Anderson (Opelika) over Dwayne Guice (Auburn) (Fall 1:38)
150 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Cole Motzenbecker (Dothan) over Robert Sepulveda (Opelika)
157 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Maciej Paszek (Auburn) over Angel Alcaraz Santana (Opelika) (Fall 1:16)
165 lbs
Champ. Round 1 – Kayden Haskins (Elmore County) over Will Street (Opelika) (Fall 1:03)
175 lbs
Champ. Round 1 – Brady Campbell (Opelika) over Noah Stargill (LaGrange) (TF 16-1 0:57)
190 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Brandon Denson (Opelika) over Chuckie Lee (Smiths Station) (TF 19-2 4:17)
215 lbs
Champ. Round 2 – Colt Dickson (Opelika) over Malik Evans (Shaw) (Fall 0:58)
285 lbs
Champ. Round 1 – Edwin Walker (Auburn) over Nathan Allums (Opelika) (Fall 2:55)
Opelika grapplers will wrestle one more time prior to 2025, traveling to Columbus Dec. 28, for the “Cavelier Classic”
AREA BASKETBALL ROUND-UP
Auburn High girls and boys are having good seasons: The Lady Tigers (15-3) led by coach Courtney Pritchett are rolling through their schedule, winning 15 games and losing three to Hewitt Trussvillle, Park Crossing and Marrow, Georgia.
Auburn High boys are 13-4, with wins over Carver Montgomery, Fairfield and Montgomery Academy
Lee-Scott Lady Warriors are 8-8 after their first 16 games playing in the AHSAA. The girls are coming off wins over Bullock County and Handley in the “Auburn High Reindeer Classic.”
Lee-Scott boys (16-1) are off to an impressive start, playing their first season in the AHSAA. Head coach Robert Johnson and the Warriors, coming off an AISA State Championship, have answered the challenge, winning 13 of 14 games in the new league. The Warriors play 8-10 players a game, but are led by three-year starter, junior Haiden “Shooter” Harper and senior post player, Parker P. Wright. LSA plays in the “Border Wars Tournament” hosted by Glenwood, Dec. 27 and 28 in Smiths Station.
The Beauregard Lady Hornet basketball team is 6-3, the Hornet boys are 0-8 on the year.
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia and host of “On the Mark” on Fox Sports the Game 910-1319.
